Apparatus for delivering mail.



PATBNTED JAN. 2o, 1903.

. Y G. coNDoRY. .APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING MAIL.

APPLICATION FILED APB.. 1902. I

I0 MODEL.

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INYENTOR AMA/Wm l if ATTORNEY;

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PATENTBD. JAN. 2o, 1903'l G. GoNDoRY. A APPARATUS POR DELIVBRING MAIL,

vAPPLICATION FILED APR. 16, 1902.

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PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903.

f No. 713.698.

G. GUNDORY. APPARATUS FOR DBLIVBRING MAIL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, 1902.

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G. GONDORY. APPARATUS POR DBLIVBRING MAIL.

PP'LIA-TION FILED APR. 16| 1902.

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G. GONDORY.

,l APPARATUS FOR- DELIVERING MAIL.

APVPLIOATION FILED APB. 16, 1902.

INVNTOR (4. ATTORNEY 'Nm 718,698. PATBNTBD JAN. 2o, 190s;A

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GOLLA OONDORY, OF NEW YORK, NfY.

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING MAIL.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,698, dated January 20, 1903.

Application filed April 16, 1902. Serial No. 103,139. (No model.)

To @ZZ whont it TrL/ty/ concern:

Beit known that I, GOLLA CONDORY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, New York city, New York State, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Delivering Mail, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for delivering mail to the upper floors of a building after the postman has distributed the same in the proper receptacles ou the ground-door.

The apparatus which I employ is designed for use in buildings having an elevator, which supplies such power as is necessary for the operation of the device; but it is designed to relieve the hall or elevator boy from the duty and responsibility of handling the mail which is to be delivered to the several offices or apartments of the building.

An understanding of my invention will be had by reference to the following description and to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a diagrammatic View showing the electrical connections and circuits employed. Fig. 2 is a front view of a building installed-with my'device. For the sake of clearness the operating parts are enlarged in the drawings in comparison with the building and elevator.4 Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is a side View, looking toward the right in Fig. 2, of the lower portion of the device, a part of the wall of the building being cutaway. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the boxes for receiving and delivering the mail. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the electric switch operated by the carrier of the boxes. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the lower portion of the device at the moment when a box is delivering the mail at the second floor of the building. Fig. 9 is an enlarged plan view, partly in section, of the clutch operating to engage and disengage the elevator-gear and the mail-carrier gear. Figs. 10 and 11 are side views of parts of the clutch. Fig. 12 is a front view, partly cut away, of a modification.

Referring to the drawings, in which the same parts are designated by the same numerals and letters, 1 represents the walls of a building of two or more floors 2.

Analed at 27 and 28.

v3 is the carrier for the boxes 4, into which the mail is delivered by the postman on the ground-floor through openings 5. The carrier 3 runs in a tube 6, preferably made of metal, at least on the inner side. To the bottom of carrier 3 is secured the rope 7, which runs around pulleys 8 and 9 under the ground- Hoor and is secured to the lower end of the weight 10. To the top of carrier 3 is secured the rope l1, which runs around pulleys 12 and 13 and is secured to the top of weight 10. Through. boxes 4 extend the rods 14 with eyes 15, Fig. 6, formed on both sides. The sides 16 of boxes 4 extend below the bottom to make the ledge or projection 17, Fig. 6. The wires 1S, Fig. 5, extend through eyes 15 from the ground-floor to the ceiling of the top story on both sides of each box 4. The hooks 19, Figs. 5, 6, and 8, are pivoted to carrier 3, beneath the seat for each of the boxes 4. The wires 20, Fig. 5, extend through holes 21 in the carrier 3 and are secured to the ground` floor and the ceiling ofthe top story. Pulley 12 turns on the pintle 22, extending from the wall 1 above the top ceiling. Pulley 13 turns on pintle 23, likewise secured to the wall 1. Fast on pulley 13 is gear-wheel 24, Fig. 3, meshing with gear-wheel 25 on shaft 26, jour- Fast on shaft 26 is ratchet wheel 29, Fig. 4. Above ratchetwheel 29 the pin 30 extends from the post 31 and serves as a pivot for the bar 32, carrying at one end armature 33 of electromagnet A and at the other end armature 34 of electroannular notch 44 in sleeve 40 and is securedl to the under side of lever 45, pivoted at 46. The other end of lever 45 carries the armature 47 of two electromagnets O and D. The shaft 41 is journaled at 48 and 49. The end thereof opposite to sleeve 40 carries bevelgear 50, meshing with bevel-gear 51, fast to ICO pulley 52, and carried therewith on pintle 53. Around pulley 2 is stretched the rope 54, which is secured to the top of the elevatorcar 55, Fig. 2, and leads around pulley 56 to counterweight 57. From the bottom of counterweight 57 the rope 58 extends around pulleys 59 and 60 to the bottom of elevator-car 55.

A circuit-closer or p usb-button 61 is located under each opening 5 for the reception of the mail from the hands of the postman.

62 represents electric bells on each floor above the first.

The inner side 63 of the tube 6 is provided at each floor with an opening 64, slightly larger than boxes 4, and a receiver for the mail on each door is indicated at 4, and receivers for the mail on each floor are indicated at 65.

The switch 66, Figs. 7 and 8, is located at the bottom of tube 6 and is composed of a plunger 67, spring 68, insulating material 69, and brass tubing 70, supported on the bracket 71. The spring contact-point 72 is located at the top of elevator-well 73 and spring contactpoint 74 at the bottom of said well 73.

is the battery. A circuit of Wire a (best shown diagram matically in Fig. 1) runs from battery 75 to each push-button 61, thence to one of the electric bells 62, and thence to electromagnet A, returning to battery 75. A circuit of wire b runs from battery 75 to spring contact-point 72, thence to switch 66, and thence through electromagnet D, returning to battery75. A circuit of wire c runs from battery 75 to spring contact-point 74, thence to electromagnet C, and thence to electromagnet B, returning to battery 75.

The operation of the device is as follows: The postman distributes the mail through the openings 5 to the several boxes 4, which are in position on the carrier 3 at the bottom of tube 6, as indicated in Fig. 2. He then presses such push-buttons 61 as correspond to apartments for which he has deposited mail, and by so doing he closes circuit a and rings the selected bells on the dierent floors. The first closure of circuit a, energizcs electromagnet A, which attracts its armature 33, Fig. 4, and frees pawl 35 from ratchet-wheel 29. This frees pulleys 12 and 13, and allows weight 10, which is heavier than the combined weight of carrier 3 and boxes 4 with theircouteuts, to drop, carrying up frame 3 through tube 6. Wires 2O guide carrier 3 a little to the left side of tube 6, so that boxes 4, resting on the bottom bar of carrier 3, tip against the smooth metal side 63 of tube 6. The opening 64 in the sheet metal 63 on the second floor of the building allows the first box 4, containing the mail for that floor, to tip through the opening, as indicated in Fig. 6, and as carrier 3 continues to rise hook 19, contacting with the bottom of box 4, ejects the same through opening 64 to the position shown in Fig. 8, delivering the mail into any receptacle 65 which may be provided to receive the same. A hood may cover opening 64, as indicated in Fig. 12, and lead to receptacle 65. Wires 18 on either side of box 4, leading through eyes 15 on rods 14, running through said box so as to leave the boxes free to turn thereon, retain the box in the position shown in Fig. 8, so that the downward movement of carrier 3 will withdraw the box, as hereinafter described. The carrier3 is raised by weight 10 to the top of tube 6, ejecting each box 4 at the corresponding opening 64 on each floor and discharging the contents of the box into the receptacle provided therefor. The carrier 3 remains at the top of tube 6 until lowered to its initial position by the movement of elevator-car 55 in the manner hereinafter set forth. While carrier 3 was at the bottom of tube 6 it rested on plunger 67 of switch 66, thus keeping open the circuit b through said switch. As soon as carrier 3 started upward spring 68 raised plunger 67 to close said switch 66. As soon, therefore, as the elevator-car 55 makes a trip to the top of its well 73 the circuit b is closed at spring contact-point 72, thus energizing electromagnet D, attracting thereto armature 47, and engaging the clutch formed of disks 36 and 38, as shown in Fig. 3. The downward movement of elevator-car 55 will then be accompanied by the downward movement of carrier 3, the power to lower carrier 3 and raise weight 10 being made effective through rope 54, pulley 52, bevel-gears 51 and 50, shaft 41, the clutch shown in Fig. 9, shaft 26, gear-wheels 25 and 24, pulleys 13 and 12, and rope 11. As frame 3 descends hooks 19 will engage with projections 17 ou the corresponding boxes, respectively, withdrawing them from openings 64 until they rest on their seats on carrier 3 and are lowered thereon to their position behind mail-openings 5. As soon as elevator-car 55 leaves the top of its well 73 spring contact-point 72 is opened, breaking circuitb and demagnetizing electromagnet D. As soon as car 55 reaches the bottom of its well it will close spring contact-point 74, thus closing circuit c and energizing electromagnets C and B. Electromagnet C will then attract armature 47 and disengage the clutch between shafts 26 and 41, so that further movement of car 55 will not be communicated to carrier 3. W'hen carrier 3 reaches switch 66 at the bottom of the tube 6, plunger 67 will be depressed against spring 68, thus opening the switch 66, which will keep circuit b open as long as carrier 3 remains at the bottom of tube 6, so that the closure of spring contact-point 72 by the elevatorcar 55 will not close circuit b. On the closing of circuit c and energizing of electromagnet B, as above described, armature 34 will be attracted and pawl 35, Fig. 4, engaged with ratchet 29, thus holding carrier 3 in position at the bottom of tube 6 against the pull of weight 10. At the next delivery of mail the postman will free the carrier 3 by closing circuit a. at any pushbutton 61, and the operations above described will be repeated.

IOO

IIO

The modification shown in Fig, 12 is designed to operate in no different manner so far as the delivery of the boxes 4 by the carrier 3 at the dierent doors is concerned; but the movement of carrier 3 is accomplished without electrical devices. The rope 76, one end of which is attached to the top of carrier 3 and the other end to the bottom thereof", is led around pulleys '77, so that the complete circuit of the rope is in four vertical lines. IE the rope is grasped at any point on one of the lines and pulled up or down, the movement on one of the lines will be in the same direction, while the Inovement on the other two lines will be in the opposite direction. The line of rope having the same direction of movement as carrier 3 runs through elevatorcar 55 and through the hand-clutch 78, tixed to the frame of car 55. After the postman has distributed the mail into the several boxes 4 the elevator boy on starting his next trip from the bottom to the top floor engages handclutch 78. The rise of the car 55 will then cause carrier 3 to rise and the several boxes 4 to -be ejected at the different floors, as before described. As the car 55 descends from the top floor carrier 3 will be brought down, collecting boxes 4, as already'described. On reaching the ground/-fioor the elevator boy disengages hand-clutch 78, so that the future trips of the car 55 will not affect rope 76 and carrier 3 until the clutch 78 is again engaged after the next distribution of mail by the postman. The rope 76 and pulleys 77 may be dispensed with by providing a hand-operated catch through the side of car 55 to en.- gage carrier 3 at will, so that it will accompany the elevator-car up and down for a trip for the purposes above explained.

I do not abandon features described and shown in the specification and drawings but not claimed. The same are covered in my divisional application, Serial No. 116,542,l

filed July 22, 1902.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In apparatus for delivering mail, a carrier, boxes designed for ejection at the different doors above the ground-door, means to raise the carrier for the ejection of the boxes and means to lower the carrier for the collection of the boxes.

2. In apparatus for delivering mail, a tube having openings on the ground-door for the reception of mail and an'opening at each upper iioor for the ejection of mail, a carrier in said tube and boxes adapted to receive mail through the openings on the ground-floor and to be ejected in order at the openings on the upper iioors by the upward movement of the carrier.

3. In apparatus for delivering mail, a carrier, a tube therefor, boxes normally seated on said carrier opposite openings on the ground-door forthe reception of mail, openings in the side ofpsaid tube on the upper floors corresponding to the path of each box respectively during the rise of the carrier, means to eject each box at its proper opening on an upper floor during the rise of the carrier and means to collect the boxes and reseat them onthe carrier during the downward movement of said carrier.

4. In apparatus for delivering. Inail, a tube, a carrier therein, guides for said carrier, individual boxes for the reception and delivery of mail, guides for said boxes during their upward movement, eyes engaging said guides and serving ro retain said boxes after ejection from the carrier in position to be collected by and reseated on the carrier as it descends.

5. In apparatus for delivering mail, a tube, a carrier therein, a weight adapted to raise the carrier from the bottom to the top of the tube, means to retain the carrier at the bottom of the tube, means under the controlof the postman to release the carrier, an elevator-car and means automatically operated by the elevator-car to lower the carrier from the top to the bottom of the tube.

6. In apparatus for delivering mail, a tube, a carrier therein, means under the control of the postman for raising the carrier from the bottom to the top of the tube, an elevator-car, and means operated by the elevator-car for lowering the carrier from the top to the bottom of the tube.

7. In apparatus for delivering mail, a tube, individual boxes for the reception ofthe mail destined for different iioors, a carrier for said boxes, means to raise the carrier from the bottom to the top of the tube past the different doors, means to eject the boxes from the carrier at the different floors respectively, means to lower the carrier, and means to collect said boxes and reseat them on the carrier.

S. In apparatus for delivering mail, a carrier having seats for boxes destined for different floors, boxes for the reception of mail, a tube having openings at the different floors corresponding to the paths of the boxes when raised on the carrier, means to eject the boxes at the selected openings during the rise of the carrier, means to raise the carrier, means to lowerthe carrier and means to collect theboxes and reseat them on the carrier during the descent of the carrier.

9. In apparatus for delivering mail, a tube, a carrier therein, means to raise the carrier by gravity, means under the control of the postman to release the carrier from the bottom of the tube, an elevator-car, and means operated by the elevator-car to lower the carrier and retain it at the bottom of the tube until released by the postman.

10. In apparatus for delivering mail, a carrier adapted to be moved in a path past the different floors of a building, boxes for the mail destined for the dierent iioors, means to raise the carrier and the boxes, means to eject the boxes from the carrier at the diierent oors, means to lower the carrier, means to collect the boxes and reseat them on the carrier during its descent, means under the IOO IIO

control of the postman to release the carrier from the bottom of its path and means to retain the carrier in position after its descent.

11. In apparatus for delivering mail, a carrier adapted to be moved in a path past the different floors of a building, boxes for the mail destined for the different doors, means to raise the carrier and the boxes, means to eject the boxes from the carrier at the dierent iioors, means to lower the carrier, and means to collect the boxes and reseat them on the carrier during its descent.

12. In apparatus for delivering mail, a carrier adapted to be moved in a path past the npper floors of the building, means to raise and lower the carrier, means to retain the carrier at the bottom of its path, and means under the control of the postman to release the carrier and start it upward.

13. In apparatus for delivering mail, a carrier adapted to be moved in a path past the upper oors of a building, a gravity device adapted to raise the carrier along its path, an elevator-car and means operated by the descent of the elevator-car for lowering the carrier.

14. In apparatus for delivering mail a carrier adapted to be moved in a path past the several floors of a building, boxes for the reception and ejection of the mail adapted t-o rest upon the carrier while at the lower iioor ready for the reception of the mail and to be tipped therefrom at the openings on the upper [ioors designed for the ejection of the boxes and their contents, means to retain the boxes in position on said carrier except when ejected at the selected openings, means to retain the boxes after ejection from the carrier in position so that the downward movement of the carrier will bring into engagement devices for withdrawing said boxes from the openings at which they have been ejected and means for raising and lowering the carrier at will along its path.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 12th day of April, 1902.

GOLLA CONDORY. lVitnesses:

DONKA CoNDoRY, JOSEPH A. STE'rsoN. 

